Greetings, history enthusiasts! It’s 10th November, and I’m Laila, ready to take you on an intriguing journey through time. In this Article, we’ll be exploring the keyword ‘Today in History,’ uncovering remarkable events, stories, and facts that have shaped the world we live in today.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 937 | Ten Kingdoms: Li Bian usurps the throne and deposes Emperor Yang Pu. The Wu State is replaced by Li (now called “Xu Zhigao”), who becomes the first ruler of Southern Tang. |
| 1202 | Fourth Crusade: Despite letters from Pope Innocent III forbidding it and threatening excommunication, Catholic crusaders begin a siege of Zara (now Zadar, Croatia). |
| 1293 | Raden Wijaya is crowned as the first monarch of Majapahit kingdom of Java, taking the throne name Kertarajasa Jayawardhana. |
| 1444 | Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Władysław III of Poland (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Władysław III of Varna) are defeated by the Turks under Sultan Murad II and Władysław is killed. |
| 1580 | After a three-day siege, the English Army beheads over 600 people, including papal soldiers and civilians, at Dún an Óir, Ireland. |
| 1659 | Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maratha King kills Afzal Khan, Adilshahi in the battle popularly known as Battle of Pratapgarh. This is also recognised as the first defence of Swarajya. |
| 1674 | Third Anglo-Dutch War: As provided in the Treaty of Westminster, Netherlands cedes New Netherland to England. |
| 1702 | English colonists under the command of James Moore besiege Spanish St. Augustine during Queen Anne’s War. |
| 1766 | The last colonial governor of New Jersey, William Franklin, signs the charter of Queen’s College (later renamed Rutgers University). |
| 1775 | The United States Marine Corps is founded at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia by Samuel Nicholas. |
| 1793 | A Goddess of Reason is proclaimed by the French Convention at the suggestion of Pierre Gaspard Chaumette. |
| 1821 | Cry of Independence by Rufina Alfaro at La Villa de Los Santos, Panama setting into motion a revolt which led to Panama’s independence from Spain and to it immediately becoming part of Colombia. |
| 1847 | The passenger ship Stephen Whitney is wrecked in thick fog off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 92 of the 110 on board. The disaster results in the construction of the Fastnet Rock lighthouse. |
| 1865 | Major Henry Wirz, the superintendent of a prison camp in Andersonville, Georgia, is hanged, becoming one of only three American Civil War soldiers executed for war crimes. |
| 1871 | Henry Morton Stanley locates missing explorer and missionary, Dr David Livingstone in Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, famously greeting him with the words, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”. |
| 1898 | Beginning of the Wilmington insurrection of 1898, the only instance of a municipal government being overthrown in United States history. |
| 1910 | The date of Thomas A. Davis’ opening of the San Diego Army and Navy Academy, although the official founding date is November 23, 1910. |
| 1918 | The Western Union Cable Office in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, receives a top-secret coded message from Europe (that would be sent to Ottawa and Washington, D.C.) that said on November 11, 1918, all fighting would cease on land, sea and in the air. |
| 1940 | The 1940 Vrancea earthquake strikes Romania killing an estimated 1,000 and injuring approximately 4,000 more. |
| 1942 | World War II: Germany invades Vichy France following French Admiral François Darlan’s agreement to an armistice with the Allies in North Africa. |
| 1944 | The ammunition ship USS Mount Hood explodes at Seeadler Harbour, Manus, Admiralty Islands, killing at least 432 and wounding 371. |
| 1945 | Heavy fighting in Surabaya between Indonesian nationalists and returning colonialists after World War II, today celebrated as Heroes’ Day (Hari Pahlawan). |
| 1951 | With the rollout of the North American Numbering Plan, direct-dial coast-to-coast telephone service begins in the United States. |
| 1954 | U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicates the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima memorial) in Arlington Ridge Park in Arlington County, Virginia. |
| 1958 | The Hope Diamond is donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston. |
| 1969 | National Educational Television (the predecessor to the Public Broadcasting Service) in the United States debuts Sesame Street. |
| 1970 | Vietnam War: Vietnamization: For the first time in five years, an entire week ends with no reports of American combat fatalities in Southeast Asia. |
| 1971 | In Cambodia, Khmer Rouge forces attack the city of Phnom Penh and its airport, killing 44, wounding at least 30 and damaging nine aircraft. |
| 1972 | Southern Airways Flight 49 from Birmingham, Alabama is hijacked and, at one point, is threatened with crashing into the nuclear installation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After two days, the plane lands in Havana, Cuba, where the hijackers are jailed by Fidel Castro. |
| 1975 | The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sinks during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board. |
| 1979 | A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, Ontario, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history. |
| 1983 | Bill Gates introduces Windows 1.0. |
| 1989 | Longtime Bulgarian leader Todor Zhivkov is removed from office and replaced by Petar Mladenov. |
| 1989 | Germans begin to tear down the Berlin Wall. |
| 1995 | In Nigeria, playwright and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, along with eight others from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), are hanged by government forces. |
| 1997 | WorldCom and MCI Communications announce a $37 billion merger (the largest merger in US history at the time). |
| 2002 | Veteran’s Day Weekend Tornado Outbreak: A tornado outbreak stretching from Northern Ohio to the Gulf Coast, one of the largest outbreaks recorded in November. The strongest tornado, an F4, hits Van Wert, Ohio, during the early to mid afternoon and destroys a movie theater, which had been evacuated. |
| 2006 | Sri Lankan Tamil politician Nadarajah Raviraj is assassinated in Colombo. |
| 2006 | The National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia is opened and dedicated by U.S. President George W. Bush, who announces that Marine Corporal Jason Dunham will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor. |
| 2008 | Over five months after landing on Mars, NASA declares the Phoenix mission concluded after communications with the lander were lost. |
| 2009 | Ships of the South and North Korean navies skirmish off Daecheong Island in the Yellow Sea. |
As you’ve seen, history is a treasure trove of fascinating tales and significant moments. Whether it’s a scientific breakthrough, a political milestone, a cultural revelation, or a gripping story of human resilience, ‘Today in History’ brings to light the events that have left an indelible mark on our world.
Before we wrap up this historical journey, let’s reflect on the importance of understanding the past. History isn’t just a subject for textbooks; it’s a source of inspiration, knowledge, and wisdom. By studying the triumphs and trials of those who came before us, we gain a deeper appreciation for the present and a better sense of direction for the future.
So, as we bid adieu to our excursion through time on 10th November, remember that history is alive, and its lessons are eternally relevant. Stay curious, keep exploring, and let the past be your guide to a brighter future.
Don’t forget to check back for more captivating ‘Today in History’ posts on this blog. The past is an open book, waiting for you to turn its pages and discover its many secrets. Until next time, happy time traveling!
